Thabo Sefolosha suffered a season-ending right broken fibula and ligament damage at some point during his arrest in New York. The Hawks announced the injuries, which will require surgery, on Thursday. Sefolosha will also miss the postseason.
An examination of Sefolosha’s leg, including an X-ray at Barclays Center Wednesday and an MRI exam Thursday at Peachtree Orthopaedics revealed the extent of the injury.
“This is a very difficult situation for Thabo and our thoughts and support will be with him during his recovery,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said in a statement. “We know that his approach and dedication will serve him well in his rehabilitation. Our team remains focused and will be prepared as we head into the postseason.”
Sefolosha was arrested along with teammate Pero Antic in the early-morning hours Wednesday at a nightclub where Pacers player Chris Copeland and two other women were stabbed. Sefolosha and Antic were not involved in the incident but were charged with three misdemeanors as police tried to establish a crime scene.
Sefolosha had a pronounced limp as he was escorted to a police van to be transported for arraignment. Budenholzer said Sefolosha will be evaluated by doctors for an ankle injury before the team played the Nets Wednesday night.
The fibula is the non-weight bearing bone of the leg that runs between the knee to the ankle joints.
Sefolosha returned to play seven games after he missed 23 games with a right calf strain before the incident. Sefolosha, who did not play Wednesday, also missed two games with the flu earlier in the season. The Hawks were 16-10 in games in which he did not play.
The injury comes with just four regular-season games remaining before the Hawks enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Sefolosha, 30, was charged with one count of resisting arrest and one count of disorderly conduct and has a court date of June 18.
According to the police report, officers asked Antic and Sefolosha to clear the area to establish a crime scene six times before they were arrested. The report states the two moved a couple feet away but did not clear the area. The report also states that Sefolosha then charged officers in an “aggressive manner.”
Police officer Johnpaul Giancona wrote: “When I approached the defendant to place him under arrest for the above described conduct, I observed the defendant flail his arms, twist his body, kick his legs, and struggle against me making it difficult for me to place handcuffs on him and complete the arrest. It took four officers to place the defendant in handcuffs.”
Sefolosha and Antic said in a joint statement that they will contest the charges.
Sefolosha, one of the Hawks’ top wing defenders, played 52 games after being acquired in the offseason from the Thunder. He averaged 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds.
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